Mail-bag catcher and deliverer.



No. 889,030; I PATENTED MAY 26, 1908.

- H. E. MESSBRSMITH.

M AIL BAG GATGHER AND DBLIVBRBR. APPLICATION PILED'MAR. 16. 1 901;.

2 SHEBTB-BEEET 1. 7

n4: NORRIS PETERS cc. wAsmnsmlv. nc No. 889,030. PATBNTED MAY 26, 1908.

- H. E. MESSBRSMITH.

MAIL BAG GATGHER-A'ND DBLIVERBR.

' APPLIOAIIONTILBD 15.11.16.1908.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

Patented May 26, 1908.

- Application filed March 16, 1908. Serial No. 421,368.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY E. MEssnR- SMITH, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and resident of Huntington, county of Cabell, Stateof West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMail-Bag Catchers and Deliverers, of which the following is a full andclear specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the crane and a portion of apassing railway-car showing the grab-hook and bag-holder in position;Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views hereinafter more particularly described;Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the crane; Fig. 5 is a sectionalView on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and Figs. 6 and7 are detail perspectiveviews of parts hereinafter described.

The object of this invention is to provide simple appliances fordelivering mail-pouches to and from moving trains, and to theaccomplishment of this object and suchothers as may hereinafter appear,the invention consists of the parts and combination of arts hereinafterfully described, and particu arly pointed out in the appended claims,reference eing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification, in which the same reference characters designate likeparts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings by reference letters, a designates a grab-hookof the ordinary type mounted on the car, I) the bag that is to bedelivered from the car, which bag is suspended upon the outer ends ofhorizontal arms 0 carried by a vertical shaft d whose upper lower endsare journaled in suitable bearings on the ,car, which bearings'permitthe shaft (1 to be turned to swing the bag outwardly into position andto bring the arm a back into the car. The lower arm is pivoted in a slotin the standard (1 and its inner end is connected bya spring e to a lugon said standard whereby the outer end of the lower arm a will benormally drawn downward and thus exert a tension on the bag and hold thebag firmly but removably on its sup orting means. Any suitable means maybe employed for locking the shaft d against turning when it is inposition to deliver a bag.

The grab-hook a is adapted as the train passes to pick up the bag f fromthe arms 9 of the crane, and the gooseneck hook it carried by the-craneis adapted to receive the bag I) as the train passes. The crane consistsof a suitable base i having a circular socket in which is stepped thestandard 7' of the crane, which carries the lower one of the arms 9,which arm is pivoted to the standard so that when the bag is removedthis arm will dro down out of the way, a suitable spring 0 beingpreferably employed to expedite this downward. movement of the arm. Thisstandard is rotatably mounted in the base so that it may be turned ahalf revolution to render the crane operative on the other track, shouldthe crane be erected between the tracks. A suitable pin Z is employed tolock the standard in either of its positions.

Extending loosely up through the base and the standard is a vertical rodm which has rigidly affixed to it a block it which rests upon the upperend of the standard and thus supports the rod in position. Mountedrotatably upon the block a and the u per portion of the rod m is asupplementa tubular standard 0 which carries at its upper end the upperarm g and at its lower end the lateral arm p carrying the gooseneck hookh, this hook being swiveled at g to the end of the arm p, the axis ofthis swivel being horizontal and radial with respect to the standard.The swivel enables the hook to be reversed so as to adapt it to receivebags from trains going in either direction and it is locked in eitherposition by any suitable means, preferably y an arm 1 pivoted to lugs son the hook and adapted to be removably locked to either one of twopairs of opposite lugs t carried by the arm p by means of a pin a. Theouter end ofthe arm 1" is extended laterally at o to form with the lugss a continuation of the mouth of the hook to assist in directing the baginto the elbow of the hook.

In connection with the above devices I employ means whereby thereceiving hook it and the upper holding arm 9 are automatically turnedaround to a position parallel with the track instantly after thegooseneck hook receives the bag, the shock of receiving the bag beingutilized to release the returning devices. In a recess in the uppertubular section 0 I inclose a spring 0. and attach one end to the rod mand the other to said standard 0, the normal tendency of this springbeing to rotate the standard. To hold the standard 0 against rotation inits operative position, which position is shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4, Iform a ratchet tooth b on the lower end of the standard which tooth isadapted to engage either one of the two similarly shaped notches 0 and dformed in the u per face of block a, and to hold block n and rod magainst rotation while the standard 0 is rotated I provide the lowerside of block 71 with a similarly shaped tooth 6 adapted to engageeither one of two similarly shaped notches f and g formed in the upperedge of the main standard and facing in a direction opposite to theupper notches c and d. In connection with these notches I providespring-actuated filling or bridging blocks 71/, 21, carried by suitablelevers pivotally mounted respectively on the block it and on the mainstandard 3' in position to be readily operated by the attendant, thesefilling or bridgingpieces being supported in such position withreference to notches d and g that when these notches are unoccupied bythe respective cam lugs b and e these bridge pieces will snap into saidnotches and exactly fill the same, thus bridging over these notches andrendering them inoperative as abutments for said teeth I) and 6.

With the construction above described it will be observed that when thehook comes in contact with the bag the block n will be prevented fromrotating by its tooth 6 but owing to the fact that the tooth b is facedin the opposite direction the upper standard 0 will be given a partialrotation by the impact of the pouch. This impact will be sufficient torotate the standard 0 far enough to carry its tooth I) out of notch d,where upon filling piece it will snap into notch d and bridge the same,and immediately thereupon the action of coil spring a will turn thestandard 0 in the direction opposite to that given by the impact of thebag and thus carry this standard with its arms around a quarter turnwhereupon its tooth b will drop into notch c and thus lock the standardwith its arms parallel with the track, out of the way. To set theapparatus for another operation the attendant simply swings the armsback to a position at right angles with the track, holding the bridgepiece it out of notch d to permit lug b to drop into said notch d andthus lock the parts in operative position again.

When the gooseneck h is reversed for operation with a train oing in theopposite direction the lower lug e and cooperating notches f and g arebrought into use, and these parts operate in the same way as the uppertooth or notches but in the reverse direction, a coil spring 3' similarto spring a being inclosed in a recess in the main standard, this springtending to rotate the rod m in a direction opposite to the tendency ofthe spring a.

It will be observed that in whichever way the receiving hook it isturned the impact of the pouch simply unlocks the locking cam tooth anddoes not of itself swing the hook around out of the way. The hook isswung around out of the way by the action of the spring, and thedirection of movement is for wardly, that is, in the direction of theoncoming train, so that there is never any danger that the hook shall beswung around to inoperative position without receiving the pouch. Thesame is true of the upper one of the arms 9 for holding the bag to bedelivered to the train.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

the top thereof provided with a pair of camshaped notches in its upperface, a vertical rotatable member mounted on said part and provided atits lower end with a cam-shaped tooth adapted to engage in either one ofthe aforesaid notches, a spring tending to rotate said member forwardly,that is, in the direction of the oncoming train, and a hook-like membercarried by said rotatable member, for the purpose set forth.

pivoted thereto and adapted to swing downwardly when released, anothercooperating arm carried by a rotatable part mounted on the standard,means for locking this arm parallel with the aforesaid arm, and meansfor normally swinging this latter arm around forwardly out of the waywhen released.

3. In combination with astandard, adownwardly swinging arm thereon, arotatable part mounted on the standard and carrying an upper arm and areceiving hook or neck, means for locking this rotatable part with saidarm and said hook in operative position, and means for normally rotatingsaid rotatasaid hook around out of the way.

4. In combination with a standard carrying a laterally projecting arm p,a receiving hook pivotally mounted in the end of said arm to adapt itfor reversal, a lock lever pivoted on the hook and having an extension'2) forming part of the mouth or throat of the hook, and means fordetachably locking the end of this lever to said arm 29 to thereby holdthe hook in either of its two positions.

5. In combination with a standard, a laterally-projecting hook mountedthereon and adapted to be reversed, and means normally released ineither direction to carry it around out of the way.

6. In combination with a standard, a laterally swinging hook mountedthereon and adapted to yield bodily backward, means for looking it inoperative position, said means being adapted to be released by thebackward yield of the hook caused by the imp act of a delivered pouch,and means for normally swinging said hook when released forwardly out ofthe way.

7. In combination with a standard, aro- 1. In combination, a standard, apart on 2. In combination, a standard, an arm I ble part when releasedto carry said arm and V tending to swing said hook forwardly when ptatable part carrying a laterally-projecting hook mounted thereon andadapted to be reversed, means for locking the rotatable part inoperative position in each of the reversed positions of the hook, saidlocking means being adapted to be released by the impact of the bag, andoppositely acting springs for the purpose set forth.

8. In combination, a standard carrying a pair of arms adapted to suspendthe bag in position to be delivered to a car, an intermediate lateralarm carrying a receiving neck or hook, means for locking this latter armin operative position, said means being adapted to be released by theimpact of the delivered sack, and. means tending to normally swing thislatter arm around horizontally forward out of the Way.

9. In combination, a tubular standard carrying a laterally projectinggravitating arm, a rotatable rod supported in the standard and carryinga rigid part provided with a cam tooth e in its under side adapted toengage into either one of two notches in the upper end of the standard,said part being further provided with a pair of cam notches in its upperside, a rotatable member mounted on the rod above saidpart and providedon itslower end with a cam tooth, this rotatable member being providedwith a horizontal arm at its upper end and with a laterally projectinghook near its lower end, oppositely acting springs, and spring-actuatedfilling pieces or bridges for said notches, all for the purpose setforth,

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses this 14th day of March, 1908.

HARRY EDGAR MESSERSMITH.

Witnesses:

J. F. MARsnALL, G. L. MEssERsMrTn.

